A Sound Mind in a Sound Body | Starting Strength Gyms Podcast #40

[stef]

Ray Gillenwater speaks with David Puder, MD about how more screen time can negatively affect you mentally, the benefit of training and exercise, and when to reach out to someone about your mental health.

• 02:15 The smartphone effect
• 05:13 Increase in screen time, decrease in quality work
• 12:42 Unsocial media
• 16:54 Exercise reduces the risk of dying
• 34:26 Where to start
• 45:15 When do drugs come into the picture
• 49:39 Low-risk, high reward

[Rednek]

Ray Gillenwater speaks with David Puder, MD about how more screen time can negatively affect you mentally, the benefit of training and exercise, and when to reach out to someone about your mental health.

• 02:15 The smartphone effect
• 05:13 Increase in screen time, decrease in quality work
• 12:42 Unsocial media
• 16:54 Exercise reduces the risk of dying
• 34:26 Where to start
• 45:15 When do drugs come into the picture
• 49:39 Low-risk, high reward

Ray, this is, I think, one of the best podcasts you have done. You had a great guest and great discussion. Please bring Dr. Puder back ASAP. I'm really looking forward to learning more about the relationship of muscle mass and cognitive decline.

[Ray Gillenwater]

Thanks for the positive feedback. Puder is great. We've finished recording through late March '23 but we'll pick back up again and have him back in the summer or fall of '23 most likely.

[HailMary]

Great discussion with Dr. Puder. More please. Ray, do you think other screens are also harmful to our well-being? Are smartphones so much worse than say, TV/cable/Netflix?

[Ray Gillenwater]

Great discussion with Dr. Puder. More please. Ray, do you think other screens are also harmful to our well-being? Are smartphones so much worse than say, TV/cable/Netflix?

Thank you.

Quantitatively, I think David's point about what you're "not doing" instead of watching a screen is good to keep in mind. There's a threshold of time spent idle and not engaging with people or nature that is almost certainly not good for most people's mental health. This would apply to all screens.

Qualitatively, in terms of how damaging each moment of time might be per screen type, I'd argue that a smartphone screen is the most dangerous. The software on the other side is learning how you react and is using that information to keep you coming back and staying longer. It doesn't care if that time spent on screen detracts from your quality of life. It doesn't care if you're in a state of rage or anxiety. Or if it's mislead you entirely. As long as you're engaged.

This risk can be mitigated with good habits, but it's too powerful for most people to do anything but be controlled by it. That coupled with the fact that our smartphones are always on us make them particularly risky. Extraordinarily addictive, hidden downsides that don't materialize immediately, always available, and socially acceptable. Yikes.

In general, looking at screen time through the lens of what's happening on the other side of the screen is a good idea to better quantify the level of risk. The algorithms are [mostly] not your friend, especially the ones being operated by surveillance companies (Google, Facebook, etc).

[Lost and Found]

Thank you.

Quantitatively, I think David's point about what you're "not doing" instead of watching a screen is good to keep in mind. There's a threshold of time spent idle and not engaging with people or nature that is almost certainly not good for most people's mental health. This would apply to all screens.

Qualitatively, in terms of how damaging each moment of time might be per screen type, I'd argue that a smartphone screen is the most dangerous. The software on the other side is learning how you react and is using that information to keep you coming back and staying longer. It doesn't care if that time spent on screen detracts from your quality of life. It doesn't care if you're in a state of rage or anxiety. Or if it's mislead you entirely. As long as you're engaged.

This risk can be mitigated with good habits, but it's too powerful for most people to do anything but be controlled by it. That coupled with the fact that our smartphones are always on us make them particularly risky. Extraordinarily addictive, hidden downsides that don't materialize immediately, always available, and socially acceptable. Yikes.

In general, looking at screen time through the lens of what's happening on the other side of the screen is a good idea to better quantify the level of risk. The algorithms are [mostly] not your friend, especially the ones being operated by surveillance companies (Google, Facebook, etc).

Outstanding topic, podcast episode and discussion here.

Seeing how the smartphone has become an appendage of many, especially the young, I'm afraid the battle against screen time has been lost. ("OK Boomer" , I plead guilty)

[Ray Gillenwater]

I'm afraid the battle against screen time has been lost. ("OK Boomer" , I plead guilty)

I think you're right. I also think that society will be starkly divided along technological lines. How much of your life is in the digital world now? How about when AR/VR/AI become equally or more compelling than reality? I can see humanity splitting into subgroups based on adoption of technology, taking them on different evolutionary paths. I believe being a "late adopter" of technology will be critical to risk reduction in the coming years. Unless it isn't (cue eerie music).

[VNV]

I recently flipped to a flip phone. I do all my modern comms through the iPad or desktop. It is a significant throttle. I did switch my sim back to the iphone today for pictures and similar conveniences. But it’ll go back to the flip before bed tonight.

[Ray Gillenwater]

I recently flipped to a flip phone.

Which one did you get? Any noticeable change in mental state when you have that in your pocket versus a smartphone?

I tried a year or two back and quickly realized the company wasn't at the right stage yet for me to unplug from the constant stream of communication.

[VNV]

Which one did you get? Any noticeable change in mental state when you have that in your pocket versus a smartphone?

I tried a year or two back and quickly realized the company wasn't at the right stage yet for me to unplug from the constant stream of communication.

The Kyocera DuraXV Extreme, No Camera. A little chunky, but indestructible. Battery lasts for days, and is easily swapped out with a quarter. It has WiFi and will function as a hotspot; but I disable data most of the time. My daughter has same, and burns through her soft data limits on a tethered iPad.

Ultra-Rugged DuraXV Extreme Flip Phone – Kyocera Mobile

Sometimes I wash it under the faucet. Other times I drop it to prove a point. But the latter hesitantly - I am not advising that.

I found a new/open box one on eBay for ~ $140, and a charging cradle with spare battery charger for ~ $50. Buy a few batteries and you can run for a perhaps couple of weeks without recharging. (Though hot-spotting is battery-intensive.)

I look like Kirk when I whip this thing to my ear. Without the hair, or hair-piece.